In a simple ceremony after the conclusion of the last general meeting of the Board of Trustees, P. Michael Timpane, who served as President of Teachers College from 1984-94, and Thomas W. Evans, who was the Chair of the Board from 1991-98, were honored for service to the College with photographic portraits that will hang in the library and the Trustees Room.

With the clinking of champagne glasses and congratulatory words from President Levine, board members, family, colleagues, and friends celebrated the accomplishments of both men. Barbara Goodman, who has been a Trustee since 1973 and serves on the Academic Affairs, National Campaign, and Strategic Planning Committees, spoke of Timpane as a president who "kept diversity of faculty and student body as a key concept of his administration and who expanded and strengthened research and instruction, especially addressing the issues of urban and minority education and school reform."

Timpane was humbled by the honor and called the portrait a "matter of great pride and joy" adding that "the presidency was and is the job of a lifetime for me."

Antonia M. Grumbach, who has served as a Trustee since 1985 and currently co-chairs the Board with Enid W. Morse, introduced the unveiling of the Evans portrait by saying that "It is very difficult to talk about Tom Evans because there are very few men like him. Tom has many achievements and almost all of them relate to education. He is first and foremost an educator-he is passionate about education." She added that the College was in a stronger position when he left than when he took over the chairmanship.

Evans thanked the Board for "the splendid portrait," and called his service as a Trustee (1985-98), "an exciting wonderful time." He added, "I have always felt that education's role is to straighten out the many problems of our society. The impact of Teachers College has been doubly and triply felt in solving those problems."

Published Tuesday, Sep. 18, 2001